Device for use in paper chromatography



p 11964 Ja. unmmw amen FOR USE IN mama cnaormocm m Filed Jam m, 1962 FIG. 1

FIG. 2 3mm JIRI HR DINA United States Patent 3,150,001 DEVICE FOR USE IN PAPER CHROMATOGRQPHY .lii'i Hrdiua, Prague, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Ceshoslovenslra Ahademie Vd, Prague, Czechoslovakia, an institution of Czechoslovakia Filed July 31, 1962, Ser. No. 213,814 Claims priority, applicafion Czechoslovakia, Aug. 8, 1961, 4,862/61 2 Claims. (Cl. 118-58) My invention relates to a device for use in methods known as paper chromatography wherein mixtures of solutes are separated by absorption in strips of filter paper for the purpose of isolation or identification of the components. When paper chromatography is used in the analytical control of continuing processes for example in the separation in chromatographic columns, an aliquot branched from the main current of the eluate is fed upon chromatographic paper to form a narrow trace thereupon. The lmown devices of said type have many disadvantages; particularly they do not work efiiciently and reliably and are slow in operation.

It is an object of my invention to avoid the said disadvantages and to provide a device which attains a quick drying of the said trace upon the filter paper and keeps it as narrow as possible.

The said and other advantages of my invention will be more fully understood from the following specification when read with the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment of my new device is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 in an elevational view partly in section. FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the upper head member of the feeding device indicated taken along line II--II of FIG. 1.

The feeding device applying a trace of the eluate upon the chromatographic paper 1, which moves in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 2, comprises an upper head member 2 and a lower head member 3. The head member 2 supports and adjustably holds a capillary supply tube 4 through which a branched off aliquot of eluate is fed upon the paper 1. The discharging end of the capillary tube contacts the paper and i preferably made of a flexible material for example Teflon which prevents the formation of drops or bubbles.

Said discharging end of the tube 4 is preferably inclined relative to the paper 1 as shown in FIG. 2 and contacts the same elastically with little pressure. The head member 2 holds said tube by means of an elastic sleeve 20 compressible by a hollow screw 21. The head member 2 is mounted on a metallic or similar tube 6 through which drying air is introduced into a nozzle 5 attached to said head member opposite the moving paper strip 1. The intake end of the tube 6 is fixed in a base member 7 which is hinged by a joint 8 to the top 9 of an air chamber 10 arranged in or upon the frame of the device. From said chamber 1t) drying air enters into the tube 6 through passage 11 and tube opening 13 which is sealed by a flexible packing 12 attached to said top 9. A set screw 14 mounted in the base member 7 and abutting against the top 9 serves to adjust the position of the tube 6 and thus of the head member 2 relative to the paper strip 1.

The lower head member 3 is mounted on the end of a metallic or similar tube 16 which with its other end is 3,150,001 Patented Sept. 22, 1964 hinged by the joint 17 to the air chamber 10 to permit a positional adjustment in vertical direction of the head member 3 relative to the paper strip 1. The tube 16 enters the air chamber 10 through the opening 18 which is sealed by a flexible membrane 19, made for example from rubber. Drying air flows from chamber 10 through tube 16 into a nozzle 15 provided on the head member 3 opposite the paper strip 1 and impinges upon the underside of the paper strip 1 opposite the upper head member 2. The tube 16 may be provided with adjusting means similar to those for tube 6 though its fine adjustment is not so important as that of tube 6. The head member 3 may be held in position relative to the paper by a spring 53. The upper head member 2 is held in operative position by its own weight and may be swung about the joint it away from the paper strip 1 to permit free access to said strip and to its supporting drum (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1 the air chamber it) rests upon a base including a second chamber 22. The chambers 10 and 12 are connected by conduit 26. The chamber 26 is provided with an inlet opening 25 and houses a fan 23 or other air moving device driven by motor 24. The air flows through conduit 26 into air chamber 1!} and on its way may be heated or cooled by a heat exchanger 27.

The capillary tube 4 may be attached to an ultramicropump or it may be branched otf from the main current of the eluate by means of a rotating dosimeter having its own driving means as indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 1. Such dosimeter may be mounted upon the hinged top 9 or may replace the same if properly shaped.

It will be understood that the drying air may be supplied to the head members 2 and .3 directly from an independent source by means of hoses substituting the tubes 6 and 16 provided the weight of such hoses does not impair the proper positioning of said head members relative to the moving paper strip.

While a specific embodiment of my invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of my invention, it will be apparent to the expert that it may be otherwise embodied without departing from such principles.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A device for depositing traces of an eluate from a chromatographic column upon a continuously moving strip of filter paper, said device comprising in combination (a) a support;

(b) a first swing arm linked with one end to said support for reciprocable swing movement of itsbther or outer end above said paper strip towards the same and away therefrom;

(c) a second swing arm linked with one end to said support for reciprocable swing movement of its other or outer end below said paper strip towards the same and away therefrom and substantially in opposing relation to said outer end of the first swing arm;

(d) adjusting means to regulate the positions of said swing arms relative to the paper strip;

(e) a capillary tube adapted to receive and conduct an aliquot of the eluate and adjustably held in the outer end of the first swing arm with its discharge end contacting the paper strip to deposit a trace of the aliquot of the eluate thereupon in longitudinal direction thereof and in preparation for succeeding dimensional development;

(f) a first air nozzle mounted on the outer end of said first swing arm, surrounding the discharge end of the capillary tube and operatively directed against the upper surface of the paper strip;

(g) a second air nozzle mounted on the outer end of said second swing arm and operatively directed against the lower surface of the paper strip; and

(I1) conduit means feeding drying air into said first and said second air nozzle, respectively.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 comprising an air chamber in the support; heating means for the air in said chamber; and at least one of said swing arms being tubular to feed air to its nozzle from said chamber.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Ham'man Dec. 12, 1916 Kirkendall Oct. 24, 1939 Beadle Nov. 9, 1943 Kopperschmidt July 7, 1953 Kucher Nov. 17, 1953 Wright Apr. 3, 1962 OTHER REFERENCES Gregory, Science, p. 169, Feb. 4, 1955. 

1. A DEVICE FOR DEPOSITING TRACES OF AN ELUATE FROM A CHROMATIOGRAPHIC COLUMN UPON A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING STRIP OF FILTER PAPER, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION (A) A SUPPORT (B) A FIRST SWING ARM LINKED WITH ONE END TO SAID SUPPORT FOR RECEIROCABLE SWING MOVEMENT OF ITS OTHER OR OUTER END ABOVE SAID PAPER STRIP TOWARDS THE SAME AND AWAY THEREFROM; (C) A SECOND SWING ARM LINKED WITH ONE END TO SAID SUPPORT FOR RECEIPROCABLE SWING MOVEMENT OF ITS OTHER OR OUTER END BELOW SAID PAPER STRIP TOWARDS THE SAME AND AWAY THEREFROMAND SUBSTANTIALLY IN OPPOSING RELATION TO SAID OUTER END OF THE FIRST SWING ARM; (D) ADJUSTING MEANS TO REGULATE THE POSITIONS OF SAID SWING ARMS RELATIVE TO THE PAPER STRIP; 